The comfort function of the motorized adjustment of a flap of a motor vehicle has become established commercially in recent years. In principle, said comfort function may be applied to all types of flaps. Accordingly, the term “flap” in the present case is to be understood as all-encompassing. Included within this term are tailgate flaps, boot lids, engine bonnets, doors, side doors, luggage compartment floors or the like of a motor vehicle. A flap in the present case may be provided with a pivotable or displaceable flap leaf.
A known tailgate flap arrangement (DE 102 25 887 A1), on which the invention is based, is provided with a pivotable tailgate flap as well as with a drive arrangement associated with the tailgate flap and a control arrangement associated with the drive arrangement.
With the motorized deflection of flaps it always has to be taken into account that the maximum capacity for deflection in the opening direction is limited by mechanical means. This limitation is generally implemented by a mechanical end stop on the motor vehicle side.
In order to avoid excessive loading of the flap kinematics during the motorized adjustment thereof, generally an end stop is provided by control technology, which provides a corresponding limitation of the motorized flap movement by control technology. Viewed from the closed position, the position of the end stop provided by control technology is located at a defined distance upstream of the position of the mechanical end stop.
The end stop provided by control technology is calibrated in the factory. When calibrating the end stop provided by control technology, two boundary conditions have to be considered. On the one hand, the end stop provided by control technology should be placed as close as possible to the mechanical end stop in order to provide the greatest possible deflection of the flap in normal operational use. On the other hand, a sufficient distance from the mechanical end stop has to be maintained in order to prevent the tailgate flap arrangement from running into the mechanical end stop, irrespective of the respective operating mode.
In view of the fact that a tailgate flap arrangement is subjected to specific manufacturing tolerances and, during the motorized adjustment of a tailgate flap, generally a certain tensioning occurs involving further geometric shifts, an automated calibration of the end stop provided by control technology is a requirement.